Places we go, things we do

Happy Halloween! Pass the Sunscreen!

Today at the grocery store and saw, Halloween candy. An entire aisle of Halloween candy.

Rush out to the stores! It’s time to shop for Halloween!

It’s still August.

I went to the craft store, Halloween crafts and decor galore.

Target, Halloween costumes and decor.

I know that Halloween is the number 2 holiday in terms of popularity.

Thanksgiving is probably my number three. The problem is it involves FAMILY. Family you have to drive to go eat dinner with. Also it’s the wrong date. In Canada, Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October. I live very near Canada. I have been, on the 4th Thursday in November, more than once stuck driving in a blizzard, saying not grace but praying to get to my relatives safely. Canada understands, you need to travel to eat turkey early in the Fall, otherwise your guests might be forced to have a Donner Party Thanksgiving when they are stranded. I can understand why Thanksgiving is not number two.

Other choices:

*Flag Day (go on, name the month Flag Day is in…you can’t)

*Valentine’s Day (“Let’s not do big gifts this year, we’ll just spend some romantic time together” trick day. You know what happens. “Oh I thought we had agreed to NOT buy gifts this year. I got you nothing. I take it this means I’m screwed, or rather NOT screwed probably for at least a week.”)

*Groundhog Day (cute fat animal, but not very active.)

*Columbus/Explorers Day (Not PC to celebrate anymore)

I’m not putting Halloween down, but it doesn’t have much competition except for Christmas.

Still, perhaps it takes TWO MONTHS to decorate your home, and you need to buy your costume early so you can tell everyone “I am going to the Halloween party dressed as JASON, I bought the hockey mask already. No one else can wear my costume, I bought it in AUGUST!”

Also a pumpkin carved now will be rotten in a few days, with temperatures still in the upper 80’s. That must be why all those fake pumpkins and decorations that do not go bad are for sale now.

Stores also need to sell all their Halloween items NOW, to make room for the Christmas items that are going on sale next week.

The good news, sunscreen is half off and the bathing suits are all on sale!